


With you close I’m the happiest I ever was

by delightfuls



Series: maybe you could sing it with me [1]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: F/M, angst just angst lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21807145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delightfuls/pseuds/delightfuls
Summary: What he doesn’t know is that her hand twitches to touch or brush his arm, hands or shoulders every time he’s near her.And maybe that’s for the best.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter
Series: maybe you could sing it with me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571374
Comments: 6
Kudos: 105





	With you close I’m the happiest I ever was

The first time he and Gina clash is at homecoming. He never understood her stone cold facade, so he decides to scratch the surface purposefully. In his defence she shows up at homecoming with EJ who just recently broke Nini’s heart. How pathetic is that?

Why is Gina hanging out with people like EJ. And he asks her. Scratches harder when she shoots back at him, and he scratches until the stone scars. 

A light dims in her eyes when it does, and he instantly regrets it. He regrets it even more when Big Red tells him that Gina’s business isn’t his, and even _even_ more when he drops her off. At the end of the night when she kisses his cheek, and tells her that she too struggles with her home life, he feels like the worst is behind them. Oh _how terribly wrong_ he is. 

* * *

The second time they clash, he feels as if he’s going to throw up. He feels sick to his stomach.

When he finds out it goes something like this;

“You lied to me about _everything_?!” He asks her outside of the house. 

“No! _No_ , Ricky I swear not everything..” She whispers back. 

“But you lied about what happened at homecoming between you and EJ, and- and, Nini’s phone? You stole it, I can’t believe I ever thought you _cared_ about me.” He spits out, and he hates the venom in his voice, because he can see the tears forming in her eyes. 

“No, I mean yes I did steal her phone, god Ricky, it’s complicated, at home, my mom, and moving, the pressure..but I do care about you, _you’re my friend.. my best friend_ I think.” She says, voice cracking. 

He refuses to look at her; “Ricky, you are Troy, you suit the role, you’re the heart of the show, even if you refuse to acknowledge it, you belong here, I did not lie about that.” He ignores everything she says. _“You’re lying, you’re lying!”_ His mind screams - 

“Well _you’re_ not mine.” He says before he can stop himself. His head is pounding and his heart is racing. 

A silence envelops them, and he wants so badly to take back what he just said, but it’s done. She takes the information in. Nodding to herself. She turns away without a word and starts walking back home, alone. She does not look back once, despite him wishing a thousand times she did. 

He wants to call her name, say he’s sorry, beg for her forgiveness, but he’s furious, and he’s heartbroken. He feels tears at the corner of his eyes so looks up.

When he gets home, his father greets him with a bright smile and open arms, but he’s not feeling anything but sickness. Scratch that anything but pain. It’s as if he had a knife in his gut, and someone was twisting it continuously.

* * *

They haven’t spoken in a while, not since she confessed. 

Since she left.

“You’re back..” He trails after Carlos hugs her tightly and raises her off her feet. Like he once did. 

She looks down, avoiding his gaze. “Yeah, I am.” And then before he can get in another word she pushes past him shyly and leaves him cold and empty. 

* * *

He sees her laughing. They’ve made peace. 

If what happened can even be called peace. One conversation in front of other people is not making peace. But she did stop avoiding him. 

She does smile, that shy smile of hers, every time he says something she believes is funny. He tries to be funny more often, so that the warmth only she can give him can make his days less cold. 

He doesn’t admit it to Big Red despite the latter knowing it already; but not having her in his life has truly taken a toll on his life. He can’t believe someone he only briefly spent time with can have such a permanent mark within his life. 

And it hurts because they don’t talk. Not really. No more home talk or relatable conversations on how their home situations have affected their lives. They exchange now only 6 words in total; “Hi, how are you, great, _great_!” 

What he doesn’t know is that her hand twitches to touch or brush his arm, hands or shoulders every time he’s near her. 

And maybe that’s for the best. 

* * *

She’s laughing but it’s not because of him. New guy, 6’2, handsome with killer smile, and beautiful voice. 

Ricky would rather die than admit any of those statements, though.

But back to what’s important; she’s smiling, and playfully touching his shoulder. As Nini wraps her arms around his torso and shoulders, he can’t help but keep staring at the view across the cafeteria. Then Nini snuggles into his back, as she talks to Kourtney about her plans for the next musical. She’s happy. Gina’s happy. He’s happy. _Right?_

He doesn’t know why her new friend pisses him off a tad bit. 

He’s staring so hard at them, that Gina shoots him a confused, _(nervous?)_ look before waving with her new friend. Ricky almost chokes, and turns away from the duo before he has to change his name and address due to embarrassment. 

* * *

He chokes a bit when Nini suggest double dating with Gina and her new boyfriend. 

* * *

“Guys! So this is Michael, he’d like to join us for rehearsal and maybe indefinitely!” She states cheerfully as she walks in pulling him by the hands. 

_Yeah, nope_. 

_Oh come on, stop being such a baby_ , he hears Ashlyn, Kourtney and Big Red say in union in his head. 

So he plays the role of a big man; Ricky gets up and away from Nini’s safe embrace and walks towards Michael. 

He puts his hand out and Michael takes it.

 _Wow is this guy like EJ but just 100 times more infuriating, god?”_ He thinks as his firm hand gets ahold of his.

“Welcome to the team Michael! We’re glad to have anyone who can keep Gina smiling…” The kids go a bit quiet and Gina looks at him with sadness and anger, both equally terrible because a) he really does not like seeing her sad, it makes his heart ache and b) well she looks terrifying, and yeah maybe he’s a bit afraid. 

He can feel Nini’s gaze on his back, so he really awkwardly adds “-And also the show really loves additions! Please grab a seat and lets sing!” He says voice cracking. 

“ _O-okay_..” Michael says before letting go of his hand and taking Gina’s to settle down on the benches. Where of course he and her used to sit. 

* * *

He avoids her for the next 5 or so months. Michael and her walk hand in hand every day for rehearsals, while him and Nini just drift further apart. Until one day they just agree it’s better to be friends. Until one day Michael is nowhere to be seen. 

She has that same determined, cold look that she had the day he first saw her, when she sits down far away from him.

He sits next to Big Red and Nini who are talking about the new roles of the next musical. When she walks in. Nini and Big Red both nudge each other with saddened looks on their face. “ _Oh, Gina...What happened_..” He can already hear them saying. 

His mind is blank he does not know what to think. So he runs behind her when she leaves the room. 

Well he doesn’t run, but rather follows her.

* * *

She enters an empty room, throwing her bag on the floor in a rather aggressive way that makes him flinch a bit through the windows of the door.

She starts dancing. And yes he’s seen her dancing in practice countless times, she even helped learn moves, but something about this time feels personal. 

Her arms going up, gracefully but aggressively executing the prettiest movements he’s ever seen. She moves, twirls, jumps and falls to her knees, breathing hard, looking down. 

He can’t help but enter the room.

She doesn’t flinch; she knew he had followed her. 

They stay quiet, him behind her standing and her on the floor on her knees. 

After a moment, she whispers “Why couldn’t you be happy for me?” 

He drops his bag and his heart on the floor. “All I want is for you to be happy Gina.” 

She scoffs and turns around rising to her toes. And pokes him in the chest with one accusing finger; “Really, Ricky? Because it didn’t feel like that.” She says. 

“He grabs her wrist lightly and notices she doesn’t move out of his grasp. “Were you happy Gina, were you actually happy?” He asks at her, his voice getting faster and louder. 

She pulls her wrist from his grasp. “I can’t _believe_ this, Ricky why do you care who I date or dated?” 

_Dated_ , he notes, it’s confirmed.

He also tries ignores the drop of his heart at her pulling away in such an aggressive manner. And shoots back “I don’t know? Maybe because we’re best friends!” 

Gina turns around hands to her head, tears forming in her eyes. “But we are not best friends Ricky! We haven’t been in a long time.”

He ignores the sting that causes because she’s right. And it is his fault. But he’s too far gone to stop. He knows he might be overstepping but he literally could not care. 

“We were happy, remember, Gina?” He asks slowly walking towards her. 

She pushes away from him, plastering herself against the miroirs on the other side of the room. 

“You can’t do this, not _now_.” She says turning towards the miroir and closing her eyes. 

“If not now, when? When you actually move and leave?” He asks, while still moving towards her slowly. 

She doesn’t look back, but she does flinch. He sees her take in a sharp breath. “ _No_ . Because Ricky, this would be just _another_ school and you would be just _another_ boy.” 

“You’re _lying_.” He says, voice shaking.

He’s now only a few inches from her, all she has to do in order for them to be nose to nose would be to turn around. 

He pushes her even when he knows it to be a lie. He needs her to say it. 

“Tell me that’s not true..” He whispers, as he looks at her face through the reflection.

She turns around slowly. And they’re face to face. Noses almost brushing. Eyes boring into another’s. Her hands stay plastered on the mirror and his to his side. 

“ _Of course_ it isn’t Ricky..” She says as she looks down to the floor. 

He doesn’t know what gets into him, but he holds her chin and brings back her gaze towards his. She looks at him in awe. And it just feels right. 

He leans his forehead to hers and she leans forward. His fingers skirt to her waist while hers rise shyly to his biceps. 

They stay like that for a while. 

Maybe an eternity.

An eternity they rightfully deserved.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> s5 rina rain kiss endgame y’all <3  
> big thanks to nardos.


End file.
